The gallery opened in October 2009 after an extensive renovation of the second floor of the old Odd Fellows Hall on Walnut Street. Since then, it has hosted more than 15 exhibitions, along with poetry readings, dance recitals and art workshops. Gallardo spent nearly two years renovating the space before it opened.

"We have no immediate plans," he said. "We're just exploring to see if there's anything that's viable. I spent $30,000 and more than a year's worth of blood, sweat and tears to get it where it is. The thought of doing that again is a little daunting."

Originally, the gallery was conceived as an arts studio, Gallardo said.

"We just thought we'd deal with it as it was and use it to make art," he said. "But the idea grew on us that this would be a great venue to display. Six months after leasing it, we realized it could be a special space."

The second floor gallery, with its bricked up windows and open hall, presented a closed off interior where visitors could focus solely on the works being displayed. The gallery also enjoyed good foot traffic, Gallardo said, from the very beginning, in a city that already has the Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, the Gadsden Museum of Art and the Meadows Gallery at Gadsden State.

"The first opening was sort of a 'blow you away' moment," Gallardo said. "I had never been to an art show where so many people showed up. It was wall to wall. All that effort we put in, not knowing how we were going to get the money, all of it paid off. And every time we had an opening, people really embraced it. That's been really amazing."

Gallardo said he hopes to continue partnerships with the Hardin Center and the Gadsden Museum of Art, even as the gallery looks for a new home. Walnut Gallery has also been involved with the Downtown Gadsden outdoor sculpture project, which looks to expand in the near future to show about 10 pieces in the next 18 months. Yesterday, the Gadsden City Council approved a purchase agreement for "Charm," the piece installed in front of BB&T on Broad Street, through the Cultural Arts Foundation using a grant.

Hardin Center Director Bobby Welch said the center is attempting to work some kind of short-term deal which would allow Walnut Gallery to use the Hardin Center exhibition space. Currently, there are no shows scheduled for the Center for next year, Welch said.

"We want to do whatever it takes to keep it going," Welch said. "That's basically a short-term solution. And maybe it's an ongoing thing while he can look for another building. Mario adds another element to the arts scene that we don't bring. And we don't want that to go away. "

Gallardo said the experience of the operating the gallery, despite having to close, has been good.

"As horrible as it is to be leaving, to look back on it, it's been very rewarding and heartening," he said. "We were able to do more with very little."

The gallery has one more show scheduled - "Vision and Omen" by Hannah Hill, opening July 19. Hill, a Gadsden-based artist, will give a gallery talk from 7 to 9 p.m. that day. The show will consist of eight large-scale oil paintings dealing with Southern themes of the "Southern acceptance of vision and omen, and reliance on an individual with a 'direct line to God.'"